


Day 8 - Risk

by moshimichi



Series: ZarcRay Week 2018 [8]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 01:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14094006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moshimichi/pseuds/moshimichi
Summary: Ray could get killed, but it was a risk she was willing to take.





	Day 8 - Risk

Rumors told of a dragon living in a castle in the middle of the country. Abandoned by kings of old, the castle sat at the end of a beaten path, just barely holding itself together. The empty building had only recently become refuge for the creature. Stories spoke of its high intelligence and also of the dangers that befell those that approached it, knights and warriors seeking glory menaced and maimed until they could barely crawl back home. It was a dangerous, malicious creature.

But if she was right, it would only attack when provoked.

Boots hit the dirt with a heavy thud and Ray grunted from the impact. She gave her horse a loving pat and the animal nickered at her before wandering off to nibble on a delicious patch of grass. Seeing that her companion seemed content, she quickly tried to fix herself up. Ray knew that even wearing britches and a traveler’s tunic, it would not do for a visitor to look rumpled and dirty.

Doubly so if the visitor was a princess.

“Alright,” she murmured, assured that she was presentable. Ray gave the old building a once over as she approached. The stone walls were high, tall enough to cover perhaps four or five floors. About a third of the windows were shattered and the rest were either cracked or miraculously whole. The door, large and sturdy, was made of chipped oak. Surprisingly, it looked well maintained, which wasn’t something you would expect from a castle inhabited by a dragon.

Before she could knock on it, a slithering sound caught her ears and movement flickered in her peripheral vision. An enemy? Or could it be the dragon?

Ray whipped towards the sound, movement quick enough that she nearly gave herself whiplash, just in time to spot the tip of a black and white tail disappear over the edge of a balcony.

“…Dragon,” she breathed. Even if the creature was dangerous, Ray couldn’t help but be awed by it. Dragons were rare and while this one did not kill humans often, it was still uncommon for one to be seen unscathed. Hopefully, she would be one of those people.

The princess knocked on the door with three sharp raps, wood unforgiving against her knuckles. Silence followed for a long, long moment. Ray fidgeted, uncertainty welling up inside. Should she just…let herself in? She had been planning to march right on in if the dragon did not come to inspect the visitor, but she knew dragons were quite territorial.

But it was a risk she was willing to take.

Just as Ray was about to barge in, however, the door slowly swung open to her surprise. Well. That was certainly an invitation, even if it was a bit of a rude one. She stepped in, cautiously scanning the place, and with some hesitance closed the door. Her heart gave a loud thud in sync with the door as her way of escape was shut by her own hand.

Ray stamped down her nervousness determinedly, turning back to the interior of the castle. No, there was no going back. While that door could easily be opened again, she did not come all this way just to turn tail and run.

Red flashed and heavy footsteps faded slowly around the corner.

“At least I won’t have to guess which hall to go through,” Ray said in bemusement. She quickly followed, the footsteps showing no signs that it was going to wait for her. There were a few turns here and there, red flicking around the corner of each turn, guiding the princess further and further into the castle until she reached a large and spacious room, likely once the ballroom.

And there, right in the middle, stood the dragon.

It wasn’t as big as she thought it would be. But even with its size, it was definitely an intimidating vision. Dark scales shone with a brilliant luster, perfectly matching the purple, gem-like orbs riveted in its wings. Sharp claws and fangs aside, the creature also had large structures protruding from its body much like blades.

But, Ray realized, while there were hints of red scales and it certainly had a tail, it didn’t look like the flashes of dragon she had seen on her way to this room.

A screeching roar interrupted her thoughts and she snapped to, flinching as she realized the dragon’s yellow eyes were glaring at her. The chilling sound it produced reminded her that it was very much a predator and, she was sure, she would become its next meal if she was not careful.

“Name yourself,” it growled. Its voice was decidedly male, the sound bouncing echoing around them. Strangely enough, its smooth tenor was nothing like the screech it— _he_  had made. “Why have you come here?”

The princess straightened her posture and curtseyed, tugging at the hem of her tunic in lieu of a skirt.

“Honorable dragon,” she said, voice clear and unwavering. “Please forgive me for intruding upon your home. I am Ray, First Princess of the royal Akaba lineage which hails from—”

“Enough,” he sneered. The dragon’s voice revealed clear tones of impatience and Ray bit her tongue to keep from snapping back. Here she was trying to be polite and the dragon couldn’t return the favor? “I know what kingdom you hail from. What is your purpose to travel to my castle?”

“…Honorable dragon, I have come with a plea. Please, I wish to ask a boon of you.” The voice scoffed, but before it could go on to scathingly comment on how humans were so greedy, she quickly continued with her request. “I ask that you keep me hostage here.”

The dragon blinked, nonplussed, and the voice choked and coughed. Curious, as the dragon showed no signs of having such difficulties.

“W-What?” he shouted. “Why would you— Are you mad?!”

“Please,” Ray repeated. She would have this dragon let her stay even if she had to beg. “My father wishes for me to become queen. I am not fit to rule and my brother is the First Prince. The  _Crown_  Prince! And yet the king would make me queen of our kingdom and marry me off to that—that buffoon of a suitor!”

Her eyes flashed and she glared at the dragon, daring it to turn her away. “I will  _not_  take what rightfully belongs to Reiji and I will  _not_  be married off to the idiot prince of another land.”

A long pause followed as Ray’s angry pants filled the room. Once she had caught her breath, gradually calming down, she bowed, head down low. “Please, I beg of you. Our kingdom has enough ties and resources to find me wherever I go. However, if I were to be kept hostage by the strongest dragon of the lands, they will have no choice but to declare me dead. Let me stay here.  _Please_.”

The dragon shifted, yellow eyes staring her down calculatingly. But before he could answer, another voice growled loudly off to the side. Ray shot up and stared, eyes wide and disbelieving, as another dragon appeared. About the same size as the first, it was a purple and green dragon adorned with yellow and red orbs, its many mouths watering with what looked to be acidic fluids. A roar answered from the opposite direction and she quickly turned to face another, this time black, white, and blue.

“Gods,” she breathed. There were other dragons in this castle! How was it that not a single rumor she had gathered spoke of this? She unconsciously took a step back. One dragon had been enough as it was, but three?

Another step and she bumped into something large and firm. Stiffening, Ray slowly turned her head to come face to face with a large yellow beak. It was a red dragon, standing tall on two legs and adorned with large horns. Ray knew, numb as she was, that this was the dragon that had guided her here.

Its heterochromatic eyes blinked at her and it slowly leaned forward. Before she could flinch away, the dragon’s beak nudged against her gently. In fact, it seemed to be  _nuzzling_  against her, much like how her horse did when it was particularly affectionate.

The other dragons immediately quieted at the sight. With the intimidating sounds stopped, the princess slowly calmed down. With some hesitation, Ray reached up and patted the creature, receiving a gentle, reassuring nudge as a reward.

“…Are you sure, Odd-Eyes?” A low rumble answered and the voice sighed in resignation. “Very well.”

Ray turned around, hope in her eyes, only to freeze as a man stepped out from behind the first dragon. Green streaked through silver, mussed strands that framed a handsome face set with the prettiest yellow eyes she ever did see. Lean muscles shifted under well-fitting clothes, long fingers encased in leather gloves, and—

_Oh._

“Well, since Odd-Eyes likes you, I suppose the rest of us have no objections.” The man gave a wry grin, eyes crinkling slightly with amusement. Her heart thumped, perhaps even harder than when she had shut that door. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Ray. My name is Zarc. I do hope you enjoy your stay here in our humble abode.”

“…What?!”

-

**_Extra_ **

-

“Hey, Zarc?”

The man turned curiously, hand still buffing Dark Rebellion’s scales. Ray stood at the entrance of the room with a thoughtful look on her face, eyes fixed on the dark dragon. “Yes?”

“Why did you pretend to be Dark Rebellion instead of, say, Starve Venom?”

Zarc’s lips quirked up into a smile and he lightly scratched Dark Rebellion’s chin, much to his friend’s pleasure. “Dark looks scary enough to deter any intruders, but he’s normally very, very calm. He always waits for my command before attacking. Venom, on the other hand…”

She quirked her head questioningly and Zarc gave her a sheepish smile.

“Well, let’s just say that if it had been Venom, you would have made a very yummy snack.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on tumblr [here](http://moshimichi.tumblr.com/post/172245664631/day-8-risk).


End file.
